Senator Doubles Down On Gun Bill

Shootings in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando haven’t dampened one lawmaker’s support for less restrictive gun policy.

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Five travelers and one police officer have dies from gunshots in a matter of days—potentially raising the stakes for a measure cutting firearm restrictions. But the bill’s sponsor Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota) is as committed as ever to the proposal.

“Well I don’t know what type of impact it has for other members,” Steube says, “but for me it further enforces the fact that, you know if you look at mass shootings—and mass shootings defined as four or more killed including the shooter—that we’ve had in Florida, a lot of these shootings have occurred on gun free zones.”

Steube sponsored so-called campus carry legislation last year, but his new bill goes further including an open carry provision and allowing firearms in airports. The shootings could also color debate around Governor Rick Scott’s six million dollar budget request for counterterrorism officers.